


One More Chance XI

by DancingHare



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 17:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13440135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingHare/pseuds/DancingHare
Summary: Vassanta arrives in Outland.





	One More Chance XI

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published July 11, 2008

Vassanta guided her elekk down the road, an angry scar that scratched the red ground, stretching north and east. She had bought the creature from the dealer in Lower City, his stable filled with all manner of animals, some of which she’d never seen before. Allegedly, they were all fit to ride, but Vassanta opted for the sensible, reliable elekk. She’d knew his prices were far too high, but she really had no other choice, unless she wanted to walk across the searing rock of Hellfire peninsula.

He didn’t have a name, and Vassanta felt a vague sort of guilt at that, though she had few occasions to call it by name anyway. ‘Elekk’ seemed to suffice for now, its enormous head swaying from side to side as it traversed the hard ground. They passed a narrow canyon, swarming with flocks of buzzards, and the sight chilled her slightly. How many corpses had they fed upon in this desolate place? Not hers, that was for certain.

Vassanta consulted her orders again, scowling. Pigs weren’t exactly what she had in mind when she’d thought about fighting the Legion. But they were demons, and they’d been terrorizing the outpost to the east, so Vassanta had orders to eliminate the threat. She accepted that her first assignments would perhaps be less than glamorous, soon enough she would face something more exciting.

The humans at the outpost seemed very relieved to see her, and that encouraged her somewhat. At least she was helping somebody. Sliding down from the elekk’s back, they pointed her toward the rocks beyond, where sharp spires of rock jutted from the ground. The pigs lived in there, they informed her, and beware of the tusks. Vassanta nodded briskly in what she hoped was an encouraging manner, and went to find the pigs.

In truth, part of her was thankful for an assignment so menial, she’d been distracted ever since she’d arrived in the city. The source of her distraction, she reluctantly admitted, was that male. She was far beyond mooning over a guy, that was more her sister’s sort of thing. And yet — here she was, finding her mind wandering back to him even in the middle of the broken, demon-tainted peninsula.

His name was Melikgaar, and he was magnificent. She’d met him her first night in Shattrath, just before her formal induction into the ranks. The tavern that night was crowded, the bar and tables taken up by loud and foreign people. Ordinarily she would have found a place among them, but she noticed the draenei back in a dark corner, alone at one of the small tables. He was big, clearly a warrior of one stripe or another, his broad shoulders heavily armored with rugged spikes. Vassanta arched a brow and sauntered over to him. She sat down without asking permission, and bought him a drink.

He was training to be a Vindicator as well, and worked for a small company back in Azeroth. But he had a quick wit and a sly demeanor that reminded her eerily of herself, and his tendrils certainly hadn’t gone un-noticed. For a time she was unsure if he would agree to go with her; sometimes the fish nibbled the bait and then swam away. It was all part of the game, and Vassanta never took it personally, but she was relieved when he suggested they find a place for the night.

She stayed with him until the morning, and the more they spoke, the more she wanted to see him. He didn’t tell her what to do or look at her accusingly; in fact it seemed that he understood her before she even spoke. Vassanta understood, intellectually, that this was the sort of thing people usually did; they found one person and they stayed together. She had no idea what to do or how to act, what sort of things she should say. But he looked at her, amusement in his eyes, and told her not to worry. They were enjoying themselves, weren’t they? She wondered if he was doing the same, thinking of her while he hunted his quarry. Hopefully it would be something more exciting than pigs.

Said pigs turned out to be a bit more challenging than Vassanta had expected, mainly because they roamed in groups. The humans were right, their tusks were wickedly sharp and she had several cuts along her arms and legs when she was finished, in spite of her heavy armor. She stuffed the tusks into her pack, should the commander require proof of her, and because she thought someone in the Lower City might want to buy them. There were people who would buy damn near anything there.

Further north stood the Dark Portal, and the stairway that led to it. It was dangerous, but Vassanta guessed that she could ride close enough to get a glimpse, at least. The elekk hesitated, perhaps sensing her plan, but obediently shuffled along as she urged him forward. She did not ride on the road, but alongside it, keeping her eyes stoically forward. The Path of Glory, the orcs had called it, built of the desecrated remains of her people. The demons, the sin’dorei, the orcs… they had all done terrible things to the draenei, and they all still lived. She wanted to change that, but she was only one person. Revenge wouldn’t bring those draenei back.

The elekk paused, lifting its trunk to scent the air. Vassanta could see them, a vast swarm of demons that assaulted the stairway, a pit lord towering above all of them, bellowing green flame from its twisted mouth. The day would come when she too would stand in defiance, the naaru lending her strength and guidance. For the first time, she hoped that someone else might stand beside her too.


End file.
